


Lending a Hand

by KatieComma



Series: Looking For The One [2]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 00:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: Mac helps Jack fill out his online dating profile, and starts to think about what that could mean for their relationship.





	Lending a Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nevcolleil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevcolleil/gifts).



Mac was honed in on the bike. It was old, and it hadn’t been worked on in a while, so he needed to check everything and make sure it was all in order.

Jack lounged on the couch playing with his tablet. Probably one of those military strategy games he liked so much. Or Candy Crush. Jack loved his Candy Crush; He was so proud of his current level. Mac didn’t have the heart to tell him that Bozer had him beat.

“How in the hell am I supposed to be honest on this damn thing?” Jack asked.

Mac sighed. Not Candy Crush after all, something so much more annoying. “Are you working on that dating profile again?”

“Goals in life?” Jack read aloud from the screen, ignoring Mac’s question. “Am I supposed to say a white picket fence and a dog?” Jack spit those words out like he was cursing.

“If that’s what you want,” Mac said, hiding his grin behind the bike, knowing it wasn’t anything like what Jack wanted. “I told you before: there’s no point lying on your dating profile. Be honest.”

“Be honest?” Jack sounded disgusted. Mac could understand. Being honest as a spy and former CIA agent couldn’t come easily.

He heard Jack’s fingers tapping away at the screen as he read the list out loud: “Goals in life: Fist fight Vladimir Putin in space, read the rest of the Harry Potter books, sing with Willie Nelson, see the Cowboys win the Super Bowl, catch a pass from Troy Aikman, and fire a FIM-92 Stinger in a combat situation.”

Mac had heard Jack’s bucket list enough times to know it by heart. It was so perfectly Jack. There wasn’t one thing Mac could think to add to that list. He sat up on his elbows and glared at Jack though the chrome frame of the bike. He tried not to grin. He had encouraged Jack to be honest.

“What?” Jack said. “You told me to be honest. That right there is my entire bucket list.”

Mac sighed again. He resolved to help Jack out. That wasn’t the kind of list you could put in a regular dating profile. “Ok, first, I would take out the Putin thing-”

Jack cut him off. “But that’s my number one-”

“It’s weird,” Mac interrupted. Despite telling Jack over and over again that it was never going to happen, Mac knew it was his number one fantasy.

“It’s not weird, it’s badass,” Jack heartily defended himself.

Mac had to admit, it painted a pretty fantastic picture, and nodded his agreement. “It would be totally awesome, but it’s weird, and it’s never going to happen. Scratch it off the list. Second, two of the things on your list are related to the Cowboys-”

“They’re my boys,” Jack sounded affronted. Like Mac had detonated bombs inside their sacred stadium. “They’re very important to me.”

“One is enough,” Mac said. “The Super Bowl, or Troy Aikman. Pick one.”

“That’s like makin’ a man choose between breathin’ and eatin’ Mac,” Jack complained, his Texas accent getting more pronounced as he got fired up talking about “his boys.”

“Well, you’ve gotta take that last one off at least,” Mac said. “Firing a rocket launcher in combat doesn’t exactly make you husband material.”

“I ain’t lookin’ to get married here Mac, just have a little fun is all.”

“Well in that case…” Mac trailed off and lay back down under the bike.

The gears in his mind clicked into place. That was exactly what Jack had said he was looking for the other day: Ms Right; Little Jacks; A predictable life to take him away from their exotic and dangerous one.

“Wait, what about the little Jacks runnin’ around?” Mac tried to lighten the subject by feigning Jack’s southern drawl. He wanted to sit bolt upright and see the look on Jack’s face when he answered, but at the same time didn’t want to seem too eager for the answer. “Isn’t that what you said the other day? That implies marriage.”

Since that conversation Mac had started to worry that Jack wanted to settle down and get out of the life, get away from him. Maybe he wasn’t as ready to give it all up as Mac had thought.

“How about this?” Jack said. “I fill this thing out completely honest and then we tweak it from there.”

Great, the brute had completely ignored the question and now Mac was left hanging. Wondering what was going on in that thick skull of his.

Trying not to be distracted by his thoughts, and failing miserably, Mac continued to prod at the bike with his pliers.

“Just don’t spill any state secrets in case you accidentally hit submit,” Mac said, trying his best to sound cool and collected.

He checked the bike’s chain. It looked like it would need to come off to be oiled. Awesome, something easy to work on. He grabbed his wrench and started loosening bolts.

“This perfect companion nonsense, are we talking, looks? Or personality?” Jack asked.

“Personality,” Mac replied. “Don’t be vain.”

“Am I not handsome enough to be vain?” Jack asked, mockingly.

Do not answer that.

“I am not answering that,” Mac said, trying to busy himself with a particularly stubborn bolt.

“Alright, alright,” Jack said. “Let’s see, perfect companion?” He hummed and hawed.

Mac thought about replaying his joke from the other day: Someone who likes bad karaoke and getting shot at? But Jack had already given him the perfect answer to that question: I already got you for that sweetheart. And Mac wasn’t sure he wanted to spoil it with any other answer.

Mac heard Jack’s fingers typing away on the tablet, and couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

“What’s next?” Mac asked.

“How would I describe myself?” Jack read. Then he started to describe himself just the way Mac would have expected: “Dashing. Handsome.”

“You know there’s going to be a picture attached to this thing, right?” Mac joked, still trying to lighten the mood, and his thoughts. “So unless you’re planning on attaching a picture of someone else…”

“You are hilarious Angus MacGyver.”

There was some kind of thrill that shot through him whenever Jack used his full name, even though Mac hated it. Something intimate about it.

“Alright, so what should I say about me?” Jack asked.

Mac assumed Jack was just thinking out loud and continued to work the bolts free from the bike.

“Come on man. I need some help here,” Jack pleaded.

“Ok. Say something like…” Mac started and trailed off.

His hands stopped turning the wrench and he stared off into space thinking about Jack. The good things about Jack. His best features. Well, he was handsome, but they were trying not to be vain. The picture would show that off anyway. Show off the strong jawline, the deep brown eyes that were always so soft and kind. Unless someone really pissed him off and then they went cold and deep. But even then there was a steely hard attractiveness to them. The kind of raw power that made…

Back on track MacGyver!

Jack’s traits. What were Jack’s best traits? He thought about everything Jack had ever done for him, the jokes they shared, how he looked after Riley despite the years they’d been apart. The the way he cared about the people in his life, would do anything for them, putting them before himself.

Mac tried not let his emotions cloud his voice when he spoke. “Say: Hopeless romantic, loyal to a fault, caring and kind with a killer right hook.” He tacked the last one on to add some humour, both in the ad and the air between them.

“A killer right hook?” Jack said, sounding a little misty. “You think so?”

Mac wondered if that question was really about his right hook, or the comments as a whole.

“Better than mine,” Mac said, meaning it about everything he’d said. Mac loved the way that Jack was willing to sacrifice himself for his family, always put them first. Mac wanted to be that way, but it didn’t always come naturally. Not the way it did for Jack. But Mac was learning from the best.

“Aw thanks man,” Jack said, continuing to type. “Means a lot to me.”

Mac lay still under the bike for too long before he realized he was supposed to be working. Forgetting where he was in the process, he did his best to look busy, tightening things he’d already tightened, fiddling with the pile of bolts and washers he’d removed.

Unable to concentrate he nervously spat out: “Whaddya wanna do tonight?”

“Hmmm?” Jack asked, still concentrating on his tablet and, obviously not listening.

“I said, what do you wanna do tonight? Maybe order a pizza? I PVRed The Expendables. Or, I think there might be a Cub’s game on.”

“Sounds like a plan dude,” Jack replied, still distracted.

“How’s it coming?” Mac asked, trying not to sound too nervous about the whole thing. Trying to sound casual. Mac was never good at playacting casual, he actually had to feel it, or it came out like awkward nerd instead.

“Yeah, yeah, fine,” Jack said dismissively.

“Fine? Come on, what’s the next question?” Mac prompted. Maybe if they could start up their banter again he wouldn’t feel so weird.

“Describe some of your happiest memories,” Jack read.

Mac waited for Jack to voice some aloud. But he stayed silent.

Mac peeked at Jack to see if he was typing, but he was staring out toward the deck, lost in thought.

Happiest memories? Mac jumped on his own immediately.

Mac had been waiting in the driver’s seat, geared up and ready to go bomb hunting in the sandbox. He was just waiting on his new overwatch before deploying. And then a rap on the side of the vehicle startled him and Jack peered in through the window. Jack, who had walked away from going back to Texas, for Mac.

All the things that popped into his head involved Jack.

Cruising Lakeshore Drive in the passenger seat of Jack’s Shelby Cobra on a cool fall afternoon.

Sitting in front of the fire pit on a perfect night, watching the LA skyline, sipping beers.

There was a night in the sandbox when they’d laid out under the stars all night trying to sleep, neither of them able to. Mac had taught Jack some constellations that night, though he doubted Jack remembered them the next day.

Mac shook his head and looked up at the bike above him. What a mess. Where was he? He was helping Jack fill out a dating profile, is where he was. And he needed to help Jack do it right. Jack was his friend and he owed him that. And so much more.

“Women like cute,” Mac advised. “Write something cute. Didn’t you have a dog as a kid?”

“My old man had a pitbull,” Jack answered. “Man did that dog hate me somethin’ fierce.”

Mac laughed a little and snuck out from under the bike to wipe the grease off his hands.

“What did you do to it?” Mac asked, glad they were talking about something else.

Jack shook his head and frowned at Mac. “Hey now. I resent that accusation. I wasn’t ever anything but sweet as pie to that mutt. He was just a mean, angry old dog. Determined to be mean and angry out of spite.”

“Reminds me of somebody I know.”

Yes! Familiar banter. Territory that he could navigate.

Jack narrowed his eyes. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

Hands free of grease, Mac reached out for the tablet and motioned for Jack to hand it over. “Let me see.” He was curious what Jack had written for his happiest memories.

His partner cradled the device protectively. “It ain’t done yet. Don’t be so nosy.”

“Come on Jack, let me see,” Mac said, smiling wider.

Jack gave in and handed it over.

Mac flicked through the responses.

 

**Profile Screen Name: KaraokeCowboy  
Age: 35.5**

 

Mac chuckled to himself. 35, yeah right. They’d have to find a pretty good picture to make that believable.

 

**Location: Los Angeles, California, most of the time, more like half the time  
Goals in life: Fist fight Vladimir Putin in space, read the rest of the Harry Potter books, sing with Willie Nelson, see the Cowboys win the Super Bowl, catch a pass from Troy Aikman, fire a FIM-92 Stinger  
Hobbies: Guns, getting shot at, karaoke, travelling to remote locations, high speed car chases  
Career: Super awesome secret spy**

 

Another chuckle. They’d have to change the career for sure. Though, Bathroom Tile Salesmen wasn’t really a lady killer.

 

**What do you look for in a perfect companion: adventurous, smart, into sports and Die Hard.  
How would you describe yourself to a potential companion: Hopeless romantic, loyal, caring, kind, with a mean right hook.  
What is your idea of a perfect date: Pizza, beer, Bruce Willis movie marathon.**

 

Mac paused. It did not escape his notice that the last one was pretty much their plan for the evening together. Just the two of them. And it was a night they’d shared more than once before. More times than Mac could count actually.

 

**Describe your happiest memories: …**

 

It was still blank. Mac was disappointed. He was curious. What ranked at the top of the things that made Jack Dalton happiest? Maybe he’d never really know. Jack probably wouldn’t be honest anyway. He’d take Mac’s advice and say something cute to “wrangle him up a filly.”

He tried not to let his disappointment show as he handed the tablet back.

“You know that woman doesn’t exist right?” Mac asked, trying not to sound too obvious about it. “Not on a dating site anyway,” he added nervously to cover his attempt at a hint. That woman doesn’t exist, but who needs her anyway? He slid back under the bike to hide the red flush in his cheeks and kept talking. “People like that don’t go online.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jack asked, he sounded defensive.

Taking a deep breath to return his skin to a normal temperature, Mac sat back up and tried to look casual, resting his elbow on his knee and meeting Jack’s eyes.

“What did you list?” Mac asked. “Adventurous, smart, likes sports?” He tried not to think too hard about the way that line described him perfectly. “People like that don’t go online looking for love. They meet other people like them out doing those adventurous things.” Like constantly travelling covertly for the government and getting into near death situations together. “That’s who they fall in love with.” The last bit surprised even him when it tumbled out of his mouth, but he tried to keep his face steady; That cold mask he’d practiced for so long, so nobody would know exactly how he felt. It masqueraded as a calm smile, but it felt cold to him.

What was he even talking about?

“You’re not helping,” Jack said.

Didn’t he know it. He wasn’t helping his case, and he sure wasn’t helping Jack finish his profile. Mac suddenly didn’t care.

“I’m serious Jack,” Mac admitted, dropping the smile. “Think about it. Has anybody, ever, held a candle to Sarah?” Mac was building up toward something. But would he actually follow through with it? He was leading Jack there, hoping that Jack would do it for him. Hoping Jack would say there was someone else who matched up.

When Jack didn’t speak, Mac continued, disappointed, keeping his mask in place.

“See? That’s what I mean. It’s the same thing with Nikki,” he swallowed her name like he was eating paint chips, he thought he might gag on the sharp caustic corners of it. “There’s never been anybody quite like her.” Lie. Well, maybe not a total lie, he’d found someone better. “You go through stuff together in the field. How can you come home and find somebody to be more intimate with than that?” And now he’d stopped talking about Nikki altogether. “And if you do find somebody in the real world, you have to lie to them about who you are.”

“Are you actually tryin’ to talk me out of this right now?” Jack asked irritably as he waved the tablet around.

Mac had come close to it, but he just couldn’t summon the courage to blurt it out. That was more Jack’s style than his. Maybe one day he’d learn that from Jack too.

He shook his head. “Finish it later. Get Riley to write it for you.” He grabbed the remote from the end table and tossed it to Jack. “Find the Cubs game and I’ll go order that pizza.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Nevcolleil, for requesting this! 
> 
> I usually don't really like writing Mac... cause I have a hard time getting into his head... but thanks to your push I did it! And I really enjoyed this one!
> 
> I am not 100% stoked on the name of this fic... I really couldn't think of a good one... sorry.


End file.
